Anti-Harassment Policy

The University is committed to vigorously enforcing the policy against harassment—including but not limited to sexual harassment, sexual violence, coercion, intimidation, and exploitation. Other examples of harassment include unwelcome slurs, jokes, verbal, graphic or physical conduct, or other intimidating, hostile, or offensive communication relating to an individual’s race, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability.

If a student feels that they have been or are being harassed, they should communicate with the alleged harasser and request that the behavior stops immediately and/or propose a course of action to resolve the situation. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level or if the student does not feel comfortable communicating directly with the alleged harasser, then the student should report the event. Students should report the event(s) to the Office of the Dean of Students. If the student feels uncomfortable reporting the event to those individuals, the student may contact the Human Resources Director or any other University official they trust.

If an employee or a university guest feels that they have been or are being harassed, they should communicate with the alleged harasser and request that the behavior stops immediately and/or propose a course of action to resolve the situation. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level or if they do not feel comfortable communicating directly with the alleged harasser, then they should report the event(s) to the Human Resources Director.

Reports of harassment should include the following information: name and contact information for both the person feeling harassed and the alleged harasser, a description of the specific acts alleged (including dates, times, and locations), names of any potential witnesses, and action taken by any party to address the behavior.

If the alleged behavior includes physical violence, the incident should also be reported to the University Police.

All reported or suspected occurrences of harassment will be promptly and thoroughly investigated. The investigation will begin with 10 working days of the receipt of the complaint. All harassment complaints will be investigated as quickly as possible, generally within 30 working days.

In all cases where a student is alleged as either party, the Human Resources Director will consult the Dean of Students. Harassment complaints involving minors (individuals under 18 years of age) will be reported by the Human Resource Director to the university police, and the minor’s parent or legal guardian will be notified of the complaint, as FERPA laws allow and is appropriate for the situation.

Where harassment is determined to have occurred, the University will take prompt, appropriate disciplinary action, including written warnings and possible suspension without pay, transfer and/or termination for employees; and disciplinary warning, probation, suspension, or dismissal for students. Retaliation against anyone who files harassment complaints or cooperates in the investigation of the same is not permissible and will not be tolerated.